Archive for July 8th, 2010

The National Association of Former Border Patrol Officers (NAFBPO) extracts and condenses the material that follows from Mexican and Central and South American on-line media sources on a daily basis. You are free to disseminate this information, but we request that you credit NAFBPO as being the provider.

This past weekend Costa Rican officials arrested 72 Nicaraguans who had crossed the border and who were attempting to proceed into Costa Rica illegally. Costa Rica has recently reinforced vigilance on the border with Nicaragua to prevent the passage of persons without documents.

(Ed. Note: Costa Rica recently passed its own immigration control legislation, their Law #8764, which became effective on 3/1/10, and is quite similar in spirit to Arizona’s SB1070. Law 8764 includes provisions for inspection of private and public transportation, plus places of work and accommodation. It also authorizes the country’s immigration officials to question any person, anywhere in the country, in order to ascertain their immigration status. There have been no reports of protests, lawsuits, or charges of racism or demonstrations alleging violations of human rights. M3 Report of 6/14/10 relates: see article titled “Costa Rica has nothing to envy – an observation from Nicaragua.” The lead item in the M3 Report of 6/21/10 also relates; it describes similar pending legislation in Nicaragua.)

After a tip about constant vehicle traffic between a luxurious house and a launch that didn’t belong in the area, police in Costa Rica surrounded the house and eventually arrested 12 persons, including Colombians, Nicaraguans and Costa Ricans; inside the house they also found 1,091 kgs. of cocaine, plus complete radio communication equipment, and “satellite telephones.” (The area in question is around Nicoya and Guanacaste, on a small peninsula on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast.)

That nearly completed mini submarine found hidden in a mangrove swamp in Ecuador (M3 Report of 7/5/10) has the following specifications and capabilities, not found in any prior “semi-submersibles”:

Ability to travel completely submerged

A 12 day range with a speed of up to 8 knots

Length; 25 meters (meter=3.28 ft.); width; 3 meters

Six passenger capacity. A bathroom is included

Twelve ton cargo capacity

Equipped with periscope and A/C

“Sophisticated” electronic command tower

Dual electric/diesel propulsion systems

The data came from Col. Joel Loayza, Chief of Ecuador’s Anti-Narcotics Police, who said that the sub first trip’s destination was going to be Mexico, and added “special information that came from abroad’ allowed the finding of the submarine, in a joint operation conducted with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Mexico’s “SEDENA” (Dep’t. of Defense) reported that 6,309 kilos of marihuana were seized in a house on Medusa St., Ejido Valle Tranquilo, San Quintin, Baja California. The report states that the information about the locale was received this past weekend. One person was arrested. The agency also pointed out that these criminal groups are inclined to use real estate properties as safe houses, where tunnels are built to pass the drug across the border, as well as a place to hold kidnapped persons and to conceal firearms, drugs, clothing and other gear used to carry out criminal activities.

The finishing details for the celebration of Zacatecans’ Week in Illinois are being completed, and various events are being programmed and prepared during July 16, 17 and 18. “An ample quantity of Zacatecans residing in the metropolis and suburbs neighboring Chicago is expected.”

“There is a great effervescence of the Zacatecans migrants residing in that area of the United States, to be able to celebrate with special interest the events regarding the Bi-Centennial and Centennial of the Mexican Independence and Revolution.” Miss Zacatecas-in-Chicago, 2010-2011, will be crowned on Sat., July 17, in Hickory Hills, Illinois. A concentration of more than 10,000 Zacatecans is expected on Sunday, July 18, around Loyola-Marymount Univ., in Roosevelt, where new Zacatecans’ clubs will be recognized.

(Zacatecas is a state in central Mexico)

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Zacatecans in the U.S. celebrate election results in Mexico

Bernabe Cabral, president of the Federation of Zacatecan Clubs in Illinois, said that the elections that just took place in Zacatecas generated wide impact and satisfaction among the migrant community in Chicago and in Illinois due to the election of new officials in that Mexican state.

The U.S. Border Patrol reported that two groups of illegal aliens were apprehended after attempting to enter the U.S. through the southern coast of California. One of the groups was made up of 18 persons who were apprehended on the USMC base at Camp Pendleton, in northern San Diego county. Since Oct. 1st, illegal aliens have been apprehended on more than 60 occasions while attempting to enter San Diego County by sea. During FY 2009, there were 49 attempts at people contraband through that area’s coast.

In Latin America there are 22 million young people – those who are between 15 and 24 years of age – who neither study nor work. (Mexican press refers to them as “ni-nis,” “neither-nors.”) That number encompasses one out of every five persons in the entire area. Of the total, some 7.5 to 8 million, or 40% of Latin America’s total, are in Mexico. The above was asserted by the Dean of the University of Mexico (“UNAM”), during a round table conference in Spain.

Mexico’s Secretary of Tourism, Gloria Guevara, ended a promotional tour in New York and said that Mexico expects to receive 22.6 million foreign visitors this year. World economic conditions and the AH1NH1 flu epidemic forced the tourist industry to lower last year’s rates. Mexico derived 13.3 billion dollars from foreign tourism in 2008, and 11.275 billion in 2009.

Mexico is the leading country in the world for armed robberies, and thugs use firearms in 67.7% of cases. This report is according to a study released today by the “Grupo Multisistemas de Seguridad Industrial,” an experienced Mexican firm with an international clientele.

(The link below will provide an English language article reporting that Mexico’s Foreign Relations Dep’t. applauds the decision of the U.S. government to challenge Arizona’s law SB1070. A similar expression of support for this action was issued by the Guatemalan government and was reported in papers in Guatemala.)